İstanbul Archaeogical Museum

Istanbul Archaeological Museum

Istanbul Archaeological Museum was known as a Ottoman İmperial Museum. Istanbul Archaeological Museum was opened by Osman Hamdi Bey on 13th of June in 1891. 13th of June is still celebrated by Turkish people as a day of Museum Today. İstanbuk Archaeological Museum contains more or less one million work which was found during excavation was done in Ottoman lands.Istanbul Arhaeological Museum is shown as a one of the 10 best museums all over the World.

Istanbul Archaeological Museum , well-known museum all over the World, was selected as a best museum years of 1992 by European Council. Istanbul Archaeological Museum has three different buildings. you need minimum half day to visit all museum. The oldest building of museum is Tile pavilion which was built by Sultan Mehmet Second during construction of Topkapı Palace. you can see İznik , Kutahya and Canakkale pottery and tiles in Tile pavilion. Another L shaped huge building was constructed by order of Osman Hamdi Bey who wasson of Ottoman Grand Vizier Edhem Pashafor the purpose of Archaeological Museum instead of hagia Irene in 1881.Architect of Archaeological Museum was Alexander Vallaury.

You can see Alexander the Great, Mourning lady, Satrap sarcophagus, egyptian style sarcophagus (tabnit) from king Necropolis from Sayda which was excavated by Osman Hamdi Bey , artifacts from Ephesus,Aphrodisias,Miletos,Tralles,Troy and Asos inside this part of Istanbul Archaeological Museum. In the other hand, you can see artifacts of Pre- Arabian Art,Egypt,Mesopotamia,Anatolia,Urartian and Cuneifrom Documents especially the oldest Treaty of Kadesh, the oldest love poem in Third part of Istanbul Archaeological Museum which was opened as a Faculty of Fine Arts at First.

you can see a lot of import works such as Sarcophagi of Byzantine Emperors and Replica of Ancient Ship was founded during excavation of Yenikapı İn the courtyard of İstanbul Archaeological Museum

Drawing Pictures of works in Istanbul Archaeological Museum is allowed on only Wednesday and Friday in the morning .